Bahraini students inject $13.5m into US economy

Manama, August 11, 2014

As many as 459 Bahraini students studying in US universities and colleges have contributed $13.5 million to the US economy during 2012-2013.

These estimates are from Carian College Advisors, an education consultancy specialising in US Admissions guidance, and are based on the 2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

“The number of Bahraini students studying in the US stood at 459 students in the 2012-13 academic year,” Carian College Advisors managing director Peter Davos said, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

“We expect this number to rise further, because of the prevailing corporate culture in Bahrain and strong demand for American-educated graduates in the job market in different sectors, such as finance, marketing, management, and engineering, among others.”

The latest report of the independent not-for-profit organisation founded in 1919 reveals that the total number of international students studying in US colleges and universities reached a record high of 819,644 during the 2012/2013 academic year.

The global report says that the economic contribution of the 819,644 international students in US universities and colleges and their families was remarkable, as they supported 313,000 jobs and contributed $24 billion to the US economy.

“This represents a 6.2 per cent increase in job support and creation, and nearly 10 per cent increase in US dollars contributed to the economy from international students overall in 2013 compared with 2012,” Davos added.

“Over the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of GCC students enrolling in US universities, given their academic flexibility, quality of their undergraduate experience, and breadth of course offerings.”

During the year, Carian College Advisors is geared to guide dozens of Bahraini students in securing admission to leading US universities, as it plays the role of preparing, guiding, and assisting them in their preparation and application endeavours.

Carian has helped students secure entry to universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Brown and Dartmouth, and also assists students with placement in American community colleges, English language programmes and graduate programmes.

“We operate on the philosophy of ‘fit’ and promoting realistic expectations,” said Davos.

“We help students create a balanced college list from among the US’ 4,500 institutions of higher education.”

He said there are tremendous education opportunities in the US for students from Bahrain.

“Traditionally, Bahrain hosts a wide range of American, British and IB curriculum system schools, all of which are curricula that US Admissions are familiar with.

“We are the natural intermediary between Bahraini students and US universities to which they are applying to, as our team of American consultants offers impartial and realistic guidance and advice.” - TradeArabia News Service